Venice Film Festival roars into action with Everest blockbuster opening

Stars and guests took to the red carpet outside the Venice film festival palace on 2 September, as the 72nd edition of the world's oldest film festival officially got underway. Actresses and actors from around the world sashayed up the red carpet, posing for photographers and greeting the large crowds gathered outside the venue.

Also making an appearance were the festival's international juries, including actresses Elizabeth Banks and Diane Kruger who this year, along with Mexican director Alfonso Cuaron, are tasked with judging the 21 competition films for the coveted Golden Lion award.

The leading actors of the festival's opening movie Everest – Jake Gyllenhaal, Keira Knightley and Jason Clarke – were met with screams of joy as they arrived on the red carpet.

Gale-force winds, snowstorms, avalanches and deep crevasses loom out of the screen with threatening reality in the 3D docudrama depicting a real disaster that killed five people on the world's highest mountain in May 1996.

Rival commercial climbing teams, who charged as much as $65,000 (£42,500) a head to take climbers to Everest's summit, got caught in a thunderstorm. Two of the team leaders, American Scott Fischer played by Gyllenhaal, and New Zealander Rob Hall, depicted by Clarke, were among the victims. The Venice film festival runs until 12 September.